The Thankful Series really has been about God's grace. We see life as good or bad; however, we are good because Jesus made us good, declared us to be good. Jesus defeated bad long ago. As a Christian, we no longer live in good or bad; we live in good, better, best. God's wisdom will make the difference. Good, better, best, never let it rest until your good is better and your better is best.

All throughout the Old Testament God required Israel to throw huge parties. These parties were called “feasts” or “festivals” and they always had one sole purpose … to remind Israel of His faithfulness to them. Whether it was His faithfulness in protection, provision, or some other area of their lives, God always wanted to let them know that He was with them and He was there to guide, guard, and govern.

As we continue this month in our “Thank You” series, I find myself thanking God for our church. Since our first service back in 2002, I have continually seen God at work in us and through us as a church body. First of all, I believe I speak for all of us in thanking Him for committed pastors in both Dennis and Suzanne. They are an excellent example of what Paul is speaking of in Ephesians 4:1 when he says, “I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called.” God is calling us, all of the members of Christian Life, to walk in a manner worthy of the calling He has given us as a church.

Confidence can seem like such an odd word for Christians to process. On one hand we are encouraged not to be prideful, yet on the other hand we are also instructed to be bold in faith and take heart. So, should Christians have confidence or not? The answer lies in Paul’s second letter to Timothy.

God loves to take our mistakes and turn them into success stories. He does it so well it looks like the whole thing was part of His original intent; but that is not the case. We make the mistakes and bad decisions. He takes them and uses them to transform us and create a story we can tell about His faithfulness and love. This is what He does for those who love Him and seek after Him. He does it exceptionally well.

Christian Life Church is a non-denominational multi-site church in Chester and Midlothian Virginia. We are easily accessible from Richmond, Chesterfield, Colonial Heights, Petersburg, Hopewell and Fort Lee and would love to have you come worship with us.